Robin Lane & the Chartbusters return with a career-spanning CD and a live show

By Ed Symkus, Correspondent

Thursday

Feb 28, 2019 at 12:55 PMFeb 28, 2019 at 12:55 PM

There were a few years, in the early ’80s when, if you were lucky, you got to catch a show by Robin Lane & the Chartbusters who, during those heady times, put out a couple of studio albums and a live EP (all on Warner Bros.) that featured a fresh blend of pop-rock, a leaning toward New Wave and just a hint of punk. Fronted by singer-songwriter-rhythm guitarist Lane, who cut her musical teeth in the California folk-rock scene before setting up shop in Cambridge, the band came across as a tight, solid quintet with both great songs and a bit of filler on the studio albums, yet were fierier and more exciting on the live EP, recorded at the Orpheum in Boston. No doubt, if you were at one of their live shows, you’d still remember it.

Band members went their separate ways in the mid-’80s, got back together from time to time, and are having another reunion at The Burren in Somerville in conjunction with the release of “Many Years Ago: The Complete Robin Lane & the Chartbusters Collection” (Blixa Sounds).

The three-disc set’s previously released material consists of the two full-length albums “Robin Lane & the Chartbusters” (1980) and “Imitation of Life” (1981), the EP “Heart Connection” (1984) and the accompanying “Heart Connection” sessions, the electrifying “5 Live” EP (1980), and a series of demos, “studios rarities,” and other live performances.

The self-titled album kicks off with the band’s best known, most radio-friendly single “When Things Go Wrong,” melodically chronicling the confoundedness of love and showing off the lower register of Lane’s powerful voice, as well as a second single, “Don’t Cry,” that highlights Asa Brebner’s jangly guitar work and background vocals by what appears to be the whole band. It’s an album that mixes together pure pop, full-out rock, strong melody and harmonies and, via “Waitin’ in Line,” some threads of punk.

Going in a slightly different direction, production-wise, “Imitation of Life’s” high points are in the rapid-fire vocal delivery and big, multi-layered instrumental accompaniment of the title track, the freewheeling rock of “No Control,” and the complex vocal arrangement of the mid-tempo rocker “Idiot.”

But it’s in Discs 2 and 3 that this collection kicks into gear. Three of the four “Heart Connection” tunes are winners. “Hard Cover” is a fierce blast of rock; “A Shot in the Dark” has – pardon the “American Bandstand” paraphrasing – a good beat, and you can dance to it; and “True Confessions” demonstrates a maturity in songwriting and features some big, booming drumming from Tim Jackson. An alternate single release of “When Things Go Wrong” is cool to listen to, but the gem here is a much earlier, less rocky version of it under the title “Never Enough.” The nagging question on Disc 2 is why didn’t the terrific “I Found Out” ever make it past the demo stage, as it likely would have been a big hit.

And then it’s on to Disc 3, with that Orpheum gig – and the resulting EP – making up the first five tracks. Aside from excellent sound and excitement in the air, it goes like this: The familiarity of “When Thigs Go Wrong” segues into the poppy-ness of “Lost My Mind,” then the outright rock of “When You Compromise,” and the punk of “8.3.” The band’s dive into the raucous, shrieking, superb cover of Guess Who’s “Shakin’ All Over” ends the segment perfectly. Among the other live performances are great versions of the first album’s “Many Years Ago,” which becomes a showcase for furious drumming and purposely ragged vocals, and “I Don’t Want to Know,” with Lane’s voice in top form.

When the band comes to celebrate the CD release at The Burren, it will consist of most of the original lineup: Lane on vocals and guitar, Asa Brebner on guitar, Scott Baerenwald on bass, drummer Tim Jackson, and guitarist Billy Loosigian (replacing guitarist Leroy Radcliffe).

The March 2 show is sold out but there are still tickets ($24) for 4 p.m. on March 3. Info: 617-776-6896.

Upcoming concerts and club dates

March 2:

The double-headliner singer-songwriter show of Liz Longley and Mark Erelli is at The Center for Arts in Natick. (8 p.m.)